Just because - I’m on a roll

Day 3 of being home due to weather.  Day 3 of absolute productivity and projects getting done.  And also day 3 of being completely pooped at the end of the day!

Madison is also pooped - from keeping the girls in snacks!   If you know, you know!

Funny how different things look when the sun shines.  I despise winter.  I loathe being cold.  But even I could appreciate the beauty of the sun shining through the ice, making everything seem bright and sparkly! 

Of course my moment of appreciation lasted exactly one moment, and then Harper, Saige and I had to tackle adding more bedding, defrosting more water containers than I can count, carrying buckets into the house, defrosting them in the bathtub, and then returning to the barn so things could have drinks.  Adjusting heat lamps, trying to make sure the critters had at least a small amount of comfort in the freezing cold. 

Jim started and scraped off the vehicles.  He and I will have to go to work tomorrow.  The girls all have dental appointments, which Quincy is going to take them to, and then she has to go on to work.  Year end taxes and paperwork cannot wait, and my house party is over I’m afraid. 

I know right now they are cautioning people about wild birds, and advising you not to feed them due to not wanting to attract them due to bird flu.   I just can’t not put feed out for them.  They are hungry, it is cold, and everything outside is covered in a literal foot of snow.  It is cruel to have something for them to eat and not give it to them I feel like.  Plus, they have sort of come to expect it.  They hang around the deck.  They sort of feel like friends.  I don’t want to let my friends down.  And the red headed woodpecker - he might turn on me.  You can’t trust him not to peck the house if his belly is empty!

I begged the girls to stand in one of the snow drifts.  They refused. Harper did reluctantly agree to let me take a picture in front of one of the drifts - hard to get a grasp on how much snow there is out there!   Some of the drifts are waist deep!   

Jim and I were having a conversation about whether we should try to shovel some of the snow, when the dogs started barking. They were freaking out because our neighbor boy, Brandon drove in with his tractor and blade.  He worked pretty hard getting the driveway cleared out, and moved the enormous drift that was In front of the bus.   Break is supposed to end on Wednesday.  I was elated and relieved that he showed up here and helped us out!  Casey’s gift cards in his future for sure.  

In other news, I officially finished painting the Preston/guest room, except for a couple areas I am patching.  Jim and the girls helped me disassemble the (extremely large, heavy and unnecessarily difficult) loft bed and got it carried out of there.  Tomorrow afternoon I will shampoo the carpet and then wait until I can get together with Grace to get the area rug.  The pieces are coming together, and I am so happy the prospects are nearing completion.  I have more projects in the near future, but nothing quite as lofty as the goals I set for this weekend.  I might actually be looking forward to going in to work - where I can sit down for a while.  

 

Pinch of pistachio - more than a pinch of snow

Sunday is usually my favorite day of the week.  A day we play catch up, but also put aside some time to have dinner together with whomever can make it over.   I look forward to seeing the kids and grandkids, and hearing all about Evelyn’s adventures, while trying to keep Wrenley from breaking herself!   Today- well nobody was going out just for fun.   We had horrible weather.  It rained all night - freezing rain.  I could hear it hitting the roof and I could hear the trees crackle and snapping outside all night.  After having freezing rain yesterday afternoon, I knew it was going to be slick and awful out.  I was actually relieved when I heard the rain turn to sleet, as I thought it might be less likely to stick on the trees and power lines.  I worried all night about power outages due to the ice and wind and how bad it would be due to the extreme cold. No heat seems like a terrible idea.  

Since I wasn’t sleeping well anyway, I got up early and made hot breakfast, and put a roast in the oven for lunch.  I figured running the oven helped take some do the strain off the furnace.  My worry didn’t decrease when I saw the  blizzard conditions outside, and watched the wind whipping the icy trees around.  I told Harper and Saige we had to go out and do chores right then, while we still had power and could come back inside and warm up.  Chores took forever due to having to break ice, give everything more bedding, and making sure they all had extra feed.  The girls moved the chickens inside earlier this week, under the shed where I thought they would be covered and stay dry.  The wind made it where the pen was filled with snow, but they didn’t seem bothered.  I added bedding and made a redneck wind block out of straw bales and mineral buckets.  It might not have been pretty, but it did help.  

Carlos hates the weather.  He has to be forced to go out, and he took one step and peed on the front porch!   In fairness, the drifts are bigger than he is!   Mostly, he has laid around napping or begging Jim for snacks all day.  

I had goals this weekend. I mentioned them earlier.  If I was going to accomplish them, I had to get started.  Today’s projects - paint the new “guest” bedroom, and take down the Christmas decorations. 

This bedroom was Saige’s.  She finished moving her stuff out while I finished Harper’s dresser.  I had painted the bottom drawer blue for a pop of color and interest.  Harper didn’t like it.  So I repainted it gray.   I had taken the drawer pulls off and spray painted them, and I very intentionally set the screws on the booth table downstairs. The cats apparently thought I did that so they had something to play with, so I had to spend 20 minutes finding them!  (Dang cats).  The veneer took a pretty good chunk out of the wood when I removed it, and although I did sand it down, I didn’t do a good job of it.  I have an electric sander, but no sandpaper for that.  Next time I will know to wait- that paint will not cover it.  But Harper is happy with it, and since it will likely either 1- need to be repainted at some point in the future or 2- succumb to life with teenagers (who break junk) and end up in the burning pit, it’s good enough for now.  Live and learn.   

The guest room color is called pinch of pistachio.  When I took these photos, I could see the green, but when I am in the room, it seems more like a tan or beige color.  The carpet in that room is completely ruined (Saige painted in there and spilled a lot!).  My friend Grace’s husband loves collecting things he finds on the Nextdoor app (free stuff).  He is giving me a very nice area rug, and Grace was going to deliver it this weekend,  but the weather ruined that.  It also ruined me conning Mallory into coming out to help me paint.  Harper and Saige have had enough of my painting nonsense - so I was on my own today.  I am almost done.  I wanted to finish, but my shoulder is just done.  I have a small amount of cutting in around the trim and a couple of holes I am patching.  The governor closed all state offices for tomorrow (which is my day job), school doesn’t start back until Wednesday, so tomorrow is another day I have at home, and will hopefully have time to finish up.  Saige had a loft bed, I have no idea how to take it down.  Jim is having back and leg issues so that will just have to wait. No big deal, I just want the paint done for now.  It will get done.  I do like the color. 

Quincy, Harper and Saige did help me get the Christmas decorations down and put away.  It made the house feel a little bit empty and a little less cheerful.  I hate taking down Christmas stuff, it seems like it is such work getting it all put up and I am always still enjoying it when it is time to purge it.  But I also know when it is time - because we have to pick  when we have time to get it done.  I’m glad it’s done and I’m thankful for them helping me.  

I am saving this here because I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before.  All highways in eastern Kansas are closed.  We are being told not to leave home unless it is an emergency. I am reading that if you get stuck, you will likely be stuck for 24 hours because they won’t be able to get to you to pull you out.  Preston is saying nothing in Manhattan is open. I would guess we have 12-15 inches of snow, with some of the drifts being about 2-3 feet tall.   I have spent this day worrying.  I mentioned I worried about power outages.  I am thankful we have had power this whole time.  I pray it stays that way.  I have worried about our animals.  This weather makes everything hard.  I have worried about Colin, who is out rebuilding power lines, he reports that he doesn’t think they got quite as much snow down there, but says the roads are really bad.  I have worried about Preston, who was supposed to work today, but couldn’t get his car doors unfrozen.  I am glad he ended up calling in!  He did tell me he ran out of toilet paper and had walked down the street, where he found out that everything is closed.  I have worried about Andrew, who has been out today fixing furnaces. Added to my worry list were my township blade men, who take their jobs to heart and who are not as young as they used to be, and also a mountain of snow on my deck making me worry about the weight of it.  (The deck worry resolved itself when I went out to shovel it and every time I pushed some off the wind would blow it back in my face.  I no longer care if the  deck collapses).  I truly do not like winter, and I am thankful these types of storms don’t really happen that often here.  

 

One exhaustingly productive day

After completing Harper’s room last night, Mallory moved on to Saige’s new room.  She did the cutting in for me.  And then she went home.  Although I was sad to see her go, I didn’t want her out in this weather!   Saige and I got the first coat done before we went to bed, and then I got up early this morning and finished cutting in and Saige then rolled the second coat.  We love how it turned out. I am so in love with the colors, I thought about kicking her out and making it into a craft room!   Just kidding.  Sort of.  

This room presented a few issues.  If you recall, during the pandemic Harper wanted the room painted, but we were staying home, so we utilized a hodge podge of paint we had left from other projects. One bright green wall, one bright blue wall, a couple of dark gray walls. All difficult colors to cover. We got that done.  This room also used to be Quincy’s, and she spilled a bottle of gorilla glue on the carpet, so we have that issue!   We finished all the painting around 1:30 this afternoon.  We then cleaned the carpet.   Saige had to wait for the floors to dry before moving in.  That was a difficult process!   

Harper helped me hang these really adorable curtains.  I love them.  

Saige has quite a bit of unpacking to do, and moving her stuff out of the “Preston/guest” room before we can begin in there.  In all honestly, my shoulder/arm is killing me so no more painting for me today anyway.  

At least no more painting above my head!   I did put a coat of paint on this dresser I am painting for Harper.  The dresser is in great shape, but the veneer fake wood finish was peeling. So I sanded it down, took it apart and threw some paint on it.  Normally, I would not do a project like this in the house, but we are currently having an ice storm, and are I think in a blizzard warning.  At least according to my phone we are.  The TV says winter storm warning for our particular county.  Either way, a project like this can’t be done outside today.  This is my first time painting wood dressers. I married a man who loves wood finished furniture.  However, he also likes to fix things up and reuse them rather than throwing them away, so he seemed to think this project was ok.   I’m happy he was receptive, because I have big plans for some chairs and a table I got for free.  ;)

In the midst of all these projects, we also managed to get the laundry done, and made a big dinner.  I don’t know if it’s just me, but ice storms make me worry about the power and I wanted clean clothes while the machines still worked.  So far, so good on that front.  Also, the girls and I spent quite a lot of time in the barn rigging up heat lamps and making sure every single critter had bedding.  I purchased several bales of straw so that we could bed them down in the bad weather. We got the goats a nice place made up in the barn with fresh straw.   We also put their hay inside for them so they didn’t have to stand out in the freezing rain to eat.  I got the rabbits all bedded in straw and turned around to realize the goats were having a nice snack - of straw.  Goats are going to be sleeping on the dirt I guess, since they ate their bed!   Stupid goats!  

When we came inside, I decided that snow days mean big meals.  Everyone is going to end this day with happiness over projects accomplished, and full tummies.  I’m also praying for our power to stay on, and for the lineman who work so hard to keep us with power.  Particularly my favorite lineman who I always worry about.  

Mass has already been called off  for tomorrow, but I wasn’t going either way.  I had a hard time walking to the barn, no chance I’m driving around if I don’t have to! I will say my prayers from here- for the safety of those who don’t have any choice but to be out there.   

 

New year….new whatever

So, we are 4 days into the new year.  So far. It has been a swirling bucket of feces as far as the world goes.  I have had to basically go back to digesting the news in small doses, because honesty, the world feels dark right now.  Trucks driving into crowds, trucks blowing up in front of hotels, people getting murdered. A mess in the political world.  And here in Kansas a polar vortex, complete with a winter storm warning, ice and snow expected.  Blehhh winter.

The weekend looks like a bust on leaving the house, except to keep animals outside alive we won’t be going out.  Lucky for us, I have delusions of grandeur.  And a weekend without anything to do, and for whatever reason, the only weekend this month that I don't have to work.  Bring on the projects!

I promised the girls we would do a great bedroom relocation project.  We started that this week.  Step 1 - move Harper into Preston's old room downstairs.  Step 2 - move Saige into Harper's old room,  Step 3 - create a room for Preston when/if he comes home out of Saige's old room, that can also double as a guest bedroom if anyone else decides to stay over.  Step 4- paint/refurnish some furniture that I have piling up.  Step 5 - purge the house of Christmas.  Step 6- clean everything so we can return to school this upcoming week (weather permitting).  

Step 1  - Harper's new room - for some reason, the room in the basement is the one room in this house that I hadn't painted.  It was the most heinous shade of orange?  Gold?  I don't know, but it was terrible.  It is also a room that started out as Preston and Quincy sharing a room (it is a large room and they were little when we moved here).  That was followed by Cameron living in there, and then Madison and Andrew (and Evie) when they lived with us for a while, back to Preston.  That room has been through it all I think.  And it looked like it.  I spent 3 days patching holes.  Holes from furniture obviously bumping walls, and holes from giant screws that Preston had holding up TV's, projectors, and industrial shelving units.  I had a brief thought that it might be necessary to re-sheetrock down there!  :)  

Harper picked out a color called granite.  I am a huge gray lover, but was sort of worried because the room is in the basement, it would be too dark.  But, there is a large window in there, so I think it looks awesome.  I thought I purchased a bubble curtain that would only need one panel, but after we got it up, it really needs 2 panels, so we will run next week and pick up a matching one to make it look better.  She also needs new mini blinds, because the ones in there were damaged, and that room faces the east (sun coming up blinds you if you have a chance to sleep in).  We got the carpet shampooed, and her bed set up.  I got some new bedding on a clearance sale, but it hasn't arrived yet.  We are painting her dressers as a part of the furniture part of the project.  But she slept in there last night, and she is happy with how it looks.  I really wanted to paint the ceiling fan, but she was adamant that she didn't care about that, so I went lazy route and just left it!  It is wood and brass in color- so just ugly.  Mallory came out yesterday and spurred us on to complete the project.  She is a master of cutting in, and I sincerely appreciated her help.  She also helped us get the first coat on in Saige's new room, but we have a ways to go for finishing in there. 

Harper can finish moving in today when the carpet is dry, and I hope she will like her new room. I think Tooth Fairy likes it! She will basically be in the basement by herself, when Quincy goes back to college, so that could be a bit of an adventure for her.  I think we will eventually also repaint the bathroom down there to make it less of a "boy's bathroom" but that might be a project for a different week!  

I am up early because, even though we have nowhere to be, and I could have slept in, my brain doesn't work like that.  It is still quiet here weather wise, although it is really cold.  I kind of hope that they got the forecast wrong, because I don't want to deal with the problems that winter weather causes.  At home, keeping animals bedded down and fed is critical and made more difficult.  At the township, keeping people happy is almost impossible, even when our blade men are working their butts off.  Seriously, I don't understand the mentality of people calling to complain about the weather, as if we can control that.  At the city, Jim has his own set of issues.  I would love to just have one of those mild winters that we don't have to deal with any of the issues!  But you know what they say - no rest for the wicked!